Gaza Strip closed for second day
26 Jun 2008
Israel says it will keep its border crossings with Gaza closed for a second day after a Palestinian rocket attack breaching a week-old ceasefire.
The Israeli move prompted Gaza's Hamas rulers to warn that the fragile ceasefire agreement could collapse.
Israel said Tuesday's attack was a "grave violation" of the truce.
Israel had been allowing more imports into Gaza since the truce was agreed. Officials said crossings would open on Friday if there was no more violence.
The Erez pedestrian crossing remained open to diplomats and journalists.
Siege
A Hamas spokesman said continuing the closure would render the agreement for calming the situation in Gaza "meaningless".
"Securing the continuation of the Palestinian factions' commitment to the deal hinges on the occupation's lifting of the siege and the opening of all the crossings in the first 10 days," he said.
The rocket attack on Sderot on Tuesday was carried out by Islamic Jihad, which said it was to avenge an Israeli raid in the West Bank, in which two died.
No injuries were reported in the attack, the first on Israel since the truce agreement came into force.
The Israeli government had previously warned it would respond with considerable force if any of the Palestinian groups resumed violence.
The Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza started on 19 June and is supposed to last six months.
It is designed to halt Israeli incursions into the Gaza Strip, and to stop rockets and mortars being fired from Gaza into southern Israel.
Israel pledged to ease its blockade on Gaza, and there may be further talks on a prisoner exchange.
Israel tightened its restrictions on travel in and out of Gaza last year, sharply cutting back on supplies into the impoverished and crowded territory after Hamas group took control from the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority.